Motor vehicle



y 1936. v. w. KLJESRATH 2,039,318

MOTOR VEHICLE Filed May l5, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Vicfor W K liesrafh BY w uk 3 TORNEX' May 5, 1936. v. w. KLIESRATH MOTOR VEHICLE Filed May 15, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v INVENTOR.

Vicfbr W Kliesrafh 5 BY A TTORNEY Patented May 5, 1936 I UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE Moron vnmcrin Victor W. Kliesrath, South Bend; Ind., assignor to The Steel Wheel Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York I Application May 15, 1933, Serial No. 671,048

8 Claims, (01.180-54) This invention relates to automobiles and the tomobile, showing in plan the engine and its like, and is illustrated as embodied in a novel mounting;

automobile having a rear-mounted engine. Figure 3 is a partial horizontal section cor- Among the objects of the invention are to imresponding to the upper portion of Figure 2, but 3 prove vehicles of this character by providing a showing a modified arrangement;

compact and eflicient arrangement of parts, and Figure 4 is a partial vertical section correby arranging a three-point suspension of the body sponding to the right hand portion of Figure 1, on the two front wheels and the engine with the but showing the modification of Figure 3; and

engine'directly supported on the rear wheels, to Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 are sections showing-dif- 0 provide such vehicles with individually-sprung ferent forms of bearings for pivotally supporting wheels, and to transmit the engine reaction torque the end of the engine. I vibrations directly to the rear wheels and thereby In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and eliminate their effect on the body. I the automobile has dirigible front wheels l0 con- In the illustrated embodiment, the engineis trolled by a steering wheel I 2 associated (with 5 pivotaliy mounted at the rear of the chassis, for other controls) with a transverse dash I! forming l5 example on bearings carried by a transverse elea part of or other wise associated with a novel ment just behind the seating means and by novel streamlined body It having its front end yieldside members between which the engine is aringly supported at opposite sides by the dirigible ranged and which carry the second hearing at the front wheels Hi. In the arrangement shown, the

:o extreme rear end of the car. By yieldingly'consteering wheel l2 operates a rock lever l8 which necting to opposite sides of the engine axle secmoves a thrust link 20 in opposite directions tions or the like on which the rear'wheels are w se. t e thru k 20 be co ected journaled, I provide the desired individual springto bellcrank levers 22 arranged at opposite sides ing for the wheels, and at the same time provide of the car and which are connected by means 25 means transmitting the engine torque reaction such' as stee ing links 14 t0 Steering arms 35 25 vibrations directlyto the wheels. I which control the swiveling of the wheels.

The above-described arrangement also provides e body 6, O a frame 0 se S ppo it, a three-point suspension for the vehicle body, :ncludes'side framemembers 28 projecting forsince its front end is supported on oppositesides wardly f th d s d p t d y p a 0 by thefront wheels, and its rear end is centrally cross members .30. Members 30 have mounted 30 pivoted on the engine which in turn is yieldingly thereon brackets 32 formed (as explained inmy supported on the rear wheels. application No. 651,821, filed January 14, 1933) I prefer to arrange the engine as part of a with sockets containing rubber blocks embracing unit power plant containing also a transmission, the ends, of axle sections 34 at the outer ends of 35 compactly arranged with the engine on one side w ch t Wheels in a Swiveled- As shown n 35 and the transmission on the other side of the dif- Figure a dl more u ly explained in my Said ierential which is arranged between the rear pri r pp i n, he upp r ax sections 34 may wheels and drivably connected to the rear wheels. in stra W e t w r Ones are p in The differential may also be built .into the unit plan to vbrace the wheels against twisting strains.

power plant if desired. Placing the transmission The dy 18 Provided With an inclined Wlhdforwardly of the differential simplifies the 'ar- Shield d with 8 Seat Seats 38} and'dool's rangement of the controls, but there are other Shown as d enough 9 afiol'd access t0 both advantages which can be secured with the reverse from 2? rear g lfilmediatelly z 'i g n n eme n h rear sea sarrange aun power-p an ncu g a a g m w t t 8 engine ahead or and the an engine 42 havingaclutch in an associated b'ell- 45 transmission behind the differential;

Other objects and features of the invention inhousing and also including a transmission The power plant unit also preferably includes eluding various novel combinations of parts and a differential. or any desired type, in an mter desirable particular arrangements and construcmediate housing 48. The engine is on one side 50 Hons Wm be apparent from the {mowing of the differential and the transmission on the 60 Scription of the illustrative b d Shown other. The mechanical details of these parts may in the a p y draW1ng$,1n which: be as fully described in my above-mentioned Figure 1 1S ad gr mm ticlon in l Section prior application. The. differential is drivably' through an automobile, embofiing t e v t o connected, through axle shafts 50 and suitable Fi ure 2 isa horizontal sect )1: through the auuniversal joints, with the rear wheels 52. The 66 axle shafts 80 may be protected by jointed tubular housings N.

In the arrangement of Figures 1 and 2, the engine is shown behind the differential and the transmission ahead of it, an arrangement which facilitates laying out the controls. In Figures 8 and 4 is shown the reverse arrangement, with the engine ahead of the differential and the transmission behind it.

The front end of the power plant or engine is in the form of a cylindrical boss 58 sleeved within, and exteriorly vulcanized or otherwise bonded to, a rubber yielding bushing seated in and similarly bonded to a cylindrical bearing formed centrally of a transverse element such as a stamped steel plate 58 braced by inclined bracket members 80 and peripherally secured to the rear ends of frame members 28, or to other integral parts of the chassis. The central bearing so formed may also be braced and supported by the central portion of another transverse element .2 shown as secured between the frame members 28.

The rear end of the engine or power plant is in the form of a hollow boss 84 (Figure 5), surrounding the handcrank clutch element 81 which is used in cranking the engine by hand. The boss 64 is sleeved within, and exteriorly vulcanized or otherwise bonded to a yielding rubber bushing 86 which in turn is embraced. by and similarly bonded to a bearing 68 which forms a connection between two side arms 10 between which the engine is arranged.

The arms 18 are preferably hollow drawn steel stampings of flaring generally-conical form, and with the larger forward ends formed over as flanges'seated over the opposite sides of the stamping 58 and bolted or otherwise secured to that stamping and to the braces 80 and the ends of the frame members 28. There is preferably also an intermediate plate 12, having a central openingcut away for the central conical and bearing portion of stamping 58, and which extends the-full height of the body just behind the rear seat, to serve as a partition between the passenger space and the engine compartment. Any desired form of removable engine hood may be mounted on the arms 18.

As the above-described front and rear bearings for the engine are in coaxial alinement with each other, and preferably also with the engine crankshaft, it will be seen that the engine reaction torque vibrations allow the engine to oscillate freely, with motions cushioned by the rubber bushings,and that these vibrations are not transmitted to thebody at all. It will also be seen that the rear end of the body is pivotally sup ported by the engine, which therefore cooperates with the front wheels to form a threepoint suspension for the body.

The engine reaction vibrations are transmitted directly to the driven rear wheels 52 by novel means which preferably also serves as an individual spring suspension for the two wheels. As illustrated, this means includes straight upper axle sections ll and Y-shaped lower sections II having their inner ends mounted between rubber blocks in sockets in the engine casing, and having thewheels 52 journaled at their outer ends, as explained in my above-mentioned prior application No. 651,821. In the form of Figures 3 and 4, both upper and lower axle sections 18 are Y-shaped in plan.

Since the arms ll are hollow, they may be additionally utilized to form the fuel tank, and to that end provided with a filler spout 80.

In Figures 6, 7, and 8 are shown means for adjusting one (or both) of the engine bearings or supports. In Figure 6, a nut 82 is threaded on the base of the boss I84, against the bearing 88 and bushing 68, and locked in adjusted position by a locking pin or the like 84. In Figure 7, two nuts 86 are threaded on boss 284 against opposite ends of the bearing 68 and the bushing 68. In Figure 8 there is a single nut 88 threaded on the rear end of boss 86 and backing up a thrust ball bearing 80.

While my prior application No. 651,821 has been referred to in order to amplify the description of some of the mechanical details, and while one illustrative embodiment of the invention'has been described in detail, it is not my intention to claim herein any of the subject-matter of said prior application, or to limit the scope of the invention to the particular embodiment illustrated or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A motor vehicle having dirigible front wheels and driven rear wheels and a chassis member carried thereby, said chassis member including a transverse element in a vertical plane near the rear wheels and provided with a bearing device substantially at its center, and also including side members extending rearwardly from said transverse element and supporting substantially at the rear end of the car another bearing device alined with the first bearing device, and in combination with an engine pivotally supported by said bearing devices and driving the rear wheels and having individual spring suspension devices independently yieldingly connecting it to said rear wheels.

2. A motor vehicle having dirigible front wheels and driven rear wheels and a chassis member carried thereby, said chassis member including a transverse element near the rear wheels and provided with a bearing device substantially at its center, and also including side members extending rearwardly from said transverse element and supporting substantially at the rear end of the car another bearing device alined with the first bearing device, and in combination with an engine pivotally supported by said bearing devices and driving the rear wheels, and individual spring suspension means for yieldingly supporting the engine directly from said rear wheels whereby the rear end of the chassis member is supported by said wheels through the medium of said means and the engine.

3. A motor vehicle having dirigible front wheels and driven rear wheels and a chassis member carried thereby, said chassis member including a transverse element near the rear wheels and provided with a bearing device substantially at its center, and 'also including side members extending rearwardly from said transverse element and supporting substantially at the rear end of the car another bearing device alined with the first bearing device, and in combination with an engine pivotally supportedby said bearing devices and driving the rear wheels, and means for transmitting the torque reaction of the engine directly to said rear wheels including individual spring suspension devices for said wheels.

4. A motor vehicle having dirigible front wheels and driven rear .wheels and a chassis member carried thereby. said chassis member including a transverse element near the rear wheels and provided with a bearixm device substantially at its center, andalso including side members extending rearwardly from said transverse element and supporting substantially at the rear end of'the car another bearing device alined with the first hearing device, and in combination with an engine pivotally supported by said bearing devices and having yieldable axle sections independently connecting it to the rear wheels.

5. A motor vehicle having dirigible front wheels and driven rear wheels, in combination with an engine arranged to drive the rear wheels, and means for transmitting the engine torque reaction to said rear wheels, said means being constructed and arranged yieldingly to support the engine on said rear wheels and to permit said wheels to move independently of each other and means for mounting the engine on the vehicle for pivotal movement about a longitudinal axis the engine as so supported being arranged to carry the load of the rear end of the vehicle.

6. A vehicle having individually-sprung dirigi ble front wheels and individually-sprung driven rear wheels, an engine directly supported by said rear wheels, and a body having its rear end centrally pivoted on said engine and having its front end supported at opposite sides by the front wheels, the front wheels and the engine serving in effect as a three-point suspension for the body.

7. A motor vehicle comprising dirigible front wheels and driven rear wheels, a differential between and drivably connected to said rear wheels, a power plant mounted on the vehicle for pivotal movement about a longitudinal axis including an engine arranged forwardly of said diiferential and a transmission driven by the engine and arranged rearwardly of the differential and arranged to drive the differential, and yielding axle sections connected to said power plant on opposite sides of the differential and independently connecting the power plant to said rear wheels.

8. A motor vehicle comprising dirigible front wheels and driven rear wheels, a differential between and drivably connected to said rear wheels, and apower plant mounted on the vehicle for pivotal movement about a longitudinal axis in- .cluding an engine arranged at one side of said differential and a transmission driven by the engine and arranged at the other side of the differ ential and arranged to drive the differential, and rigid axle sections yieldably connected to, opposite sides of said power plant and on which said rear wheels are journaled and which permit .said wheels to move independently of each other.

VICTOR W. KLIESRATH. 

